Changing Seasons
by Feathery-Dreamer
Summary: What are they now at the end of this adventure? Could they still be called enemies when they had drawn their sword towards a common goal are they mere rivals, or something else entirely? Inuyasha and Sesshomaru didn't truly know but they could at least test the waters to find where they now stood.
1. Chapter 1

**Arc I: Senses**

**Chapter 1 : Sights of Spring **

* * *

"It's hard to hold a conversation with people when you're not seeing them."

Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger

* * *

Their meetings were sparse and far between, but when they did meet neither betrayed their shared past. Ever since their alliance during the fight with Naraku, his friends had seen that they no longer fought.

Maybe they thought it meant they were ready to embrace their familial ties.

Maybe they expected things to turn back to how they were before the alliance.

He didn't know what he expected but, he knew something had changed irreparably their dynamic. It would never change back to the comfortable trading of cruel insults and blows. Comfortable because he knew where they stood, now though it was all murky, he didn't know where the lines that separated them were anymore.

He realized the change when he felt no impulse to yell at his brother when he looked at him. He knew his brother felt the same as he saw no real irritation flash in his face.

There was no animosity between them, but neither pair of golden eyes held warmth upon seeing the other. They held their gazes for mere seconds, barely enough to indicate that their presence was acknowledged.

The same ritual came and went with each encounter.

He met his brother once or twice per four months...not that he was counting, Rin had simply always chirped loudly that it was almost time for his visits.

He imagined that Sesshomaru had less time on his hand due to him resuming his rightful place as the head of the Western Land. It was either that or perhaps he still favored aimlessly roaming the land and came whenever he felt like it.

He couldn't help being startled seeing him ahead of schedule. He furrowed his brows as he saw the girl cry in delight at his surprise visit, abandoning the lessons the old hag was teaching her in favour of hugging her former guardian. His brother watched impassively as the girl squeezed him as tight as she could, raising his left arm to pat her head.

The pale face lifted his head and stared dead on at him. As usual, his brother acknowledge him by glancing at him. Inuyasha was startled again as he saw a gleam in the other's eyes instead of the usual indifference.

His eyes clearly challenged him to comment on his visit. That glare wasn't what unsettled him though, it was that deeper emotion laying underneath the challenge that confused him. It felt familiar to him but he wasn't able to put a name on it.

From that moment, Sesshomaru seemed to come as many times as he possibly could. He assumed his brother was simply verifying that his former charge was never lacking.

Even with these regular visits, they never exchanged words, the eye contact had however become longer and that familiar glint in his eyes always lurked around the corner.

It would always start the same way. Today was no different.

Sesshomaru, followed by Jaken, would greet Rin in his own way, then he would lay his hand on Rin's head ceasing her endless chatter for a moment. He would use that silence to stare at him.

Silver eyebrows would crease and his eyes would narrow slightly, the effect intensify somehow with the purple markings on his eyelids.

He could only cross his arm under his sleeves and convey his answer as best he could non-verbally, which was through an annoyed spark in his eyes coupled with a raised eyebrow.

Sesshomaru would then harden his gaze, the marking on his cheeks shifting slightly, his head rose unconsciously in a haughty way.

He would scowl right back at him while scrunching his nose.

Shippo had then muttered it how damn creepy the way they never talked and never broke their gaze until someone interrupted them was. He had even been bold enough to say that if he didn't know any better he'd say they where ogling each other.

Inuyasha cuffed the kit lightly on his head for his cheek, effectively ending their "ogling". He knew Kagome would not have approved of it, but she wouldn't have approved of the fox kit's vocabulary either, making his action a necessary evil.

He was surprised though that their shifting of expression was so subtle that they hadn't caught on to the silent communication. Or maybe they just couldn't interpret what was being said.

It could be possible that the stares didn't translate well for his friends, seeing as the first time this had happened, it had taken him a long soul-searching look _\- and didn't that sound overly girlish_ \- to identify what was being asked. He had been offended through a gross misinterpretation and later surprised as he understood the meaning.

Ironically enough, it was the most they had talked without a sword a their throats and a promise of death on their lips. He found himself relishing those moments, as for a second, they were more or less being honest with each other. Maybe one day, it would be longer and would touch other topics...

This particular day, Miroku had joined the teasing stating that it was their new way of fighting for dominance. He recalled Sango and Shippo giggle at the comment, the twins pearly laughter only joining from seeing their mother's good mood.

He knew better than that though, it was a new sort of dance he supposed.

Inuyasha watched his brother be dragged away into the forest by the cheerful babbling of the girl, her hand pulling the tip of his clawed fingers. He had seen a variation of it many times now, but in that instant, everything sharpened.

He would forever remember the smell of fresh air that mingled with the scent of his friends and the three retreating form. The picture of his brother's tall and proud form hunched slightly by the pulling of the little girl with the radiant grin and the indignant squawk of the green demon jumping and yelling, would forever be burned in his mind.

That surging feeling of realization would never be forgotten either.

The gleam in the eyes of the Lord of the Western Lands was fear. He feared the fact that human lives were fleeting.

He knew he was dense but, really, this was dangling in front of him since the first time they had that silent conversation.

After all why else would he ask the same things over and over?

* * *

_Has anything happened to her?_

_Nothing unless you want the full details of all the scrapes and bruises she's had_

* * *

Why else would he ask, in his own way, for her protection?

* * *

_If anything should happen..._

_As if I'd let anything happen to the brat on my watch!_

* * *

He ignored the sudden pang that told him his brother truly had a heart and though they were no longer ripping each other's throats, he would never be privy to that.

* * *

A/N: First off, it was an idea that popped from revisiting the Inuyasha fandom and this spawn from my desire to see some Inuyasha and Sesshomaru brotherly interaction (or as brotherly as they can without being too OOC). I was thinking of making a series of drabbles from different moments in time and subsequently seeing their interaction grow from different events in time. I could also just make it into a continuous story.

I'm sure it has been done already, but I at least wanted to put my spin on this.

Second: Sorry for any mistakes in grammar or whatever else ( keep in mind that English is not my native tongue, so I'm lacking some fundamental grammatical rules...)

Setting: The drabbles will mostly be set during the time Kagome was sealed in her era to post-manga, though some other period of time could be broached if inspiration strikes

Ratings: It should never become more than T

Genre: humor, family, friendship, angst...You get the picture, though romance will not be a prominent part.

Other notes:

I'm not sure if Sesshomaru truly is reigning as Lord of the Western Land or if he really just wandering fighting however he wants for the heck of it, but I'm making my life easier by assuming he is resuming his position as Lord after an impromptu hiatus.

I tried making it look like both brothers were out of depth in their interaction. I remember seeing that towards the end of the manga there was no clear cut hatred between them, as such I tried (and will continue to in the other drabbles) to make it look like they're experimenting and gauging each other...

There will be no OC (or if there are they will never be relevant to the plot), the pairings will follow cannon (as such no yaoi sorry) and finally there will be occasional use of Japanese words. To those that are put off by this I will only say that there is a reason why they will be used, if there is an equivalent term in English that can translate the word correctly then it will be used (meaning I will not use baka when a simple idiot or stupid will do the trick). This will be applied to some honorifics and only if it's relevant to the plot (lets say like Kagome calling Sesshomaru Onii-san, it's kinda odd for her to use our usual brother..)

For those who read this I'm surprised you did and thanks for reading and tell me if your interested in reading more (as drabbles or a continuous story) !


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Scent of Autumn  
**

* * *

The sense of smell, like a faithful counsellor, foretells its character. - Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

* * *

_He had heard his father's roar, spurring him to the top of the hill overlooking the burning mansion and velvet red snow._

_His eyes told him of an altercation, his nose however told the story as it was and no matter how much the smell of smoke and burning wood clogged his nose, it could never hide the unmistakable scent of his father's blood._

_The thunderous cries of vengeance in the name of a human snapped him out of his thoughts. Some humans still remained, some stayed rooted confused, others deserted the area. Some chased the trail of the woman who had bedded his father._

_He snarled, viciously unleashing his poisonous whip on to the human pursuers. What was so great about humans. They were unrefined, they died in a blink of an eye and they mated early in order to leave some sort of pointless legacy...they were no better than cattle._

_Sesshomaru watched as the woman fled, his father's fire rat robe covering her in that glaring red, making her easy to spot even in the shadows of the night. She was oblivious to anything but the bundle in her arms, she had not even bothered to cover her snowy tracks._

_The new Lord, flared his demonic aura, warning any predator with half a mind to stay far away from the pair. Those who did try to attack the screeching hybrid and the clumsy human were swiftly killed with a flick of his wrist._

_He watched from a distance as the woman found a cave and settled for the night, too tired to continue much farther. As her breath evened out, his curiosity grew. He wished to see what his father had thrown away his life for. He wanted to gaze at the thing that will forever tarnish his blood._

_Sesshomaru leaned closer examining its face. Despite the close proximity the hybrid did not twitch his abnormal puppy ears, nor did he open his eyes. It did however, sniff and upon recognizing his smell as something familiar, it wriggled in its mother's hold, trying desperately to nuzzle the face near him._

_At the abrupt movement, the human stirred and open her eyes groggily, shushing her baby and looking around the empty cave for signs of danger before falling asleep once again._

_Golden eyes narrowed at his discovery._

_The hybrid's smelled far more like a demon than he did a human._

_Sesshomaru closed his eyes and recalled the fragrance. The combination was unsettling and made for a rather unique smell. It smelled strongly of fresh air, of family, and of earthy tones he associated with its mother._

_Even if it smelled like family, it could never attain such a status. It was a half-breed, a travesty of both species. It was something that should not be, yet was. It had silver hair much like he did, perhaps it would have golden eyes, but the similarities would end there._

_He consoled himself by thinking that it would die soon for the world was harsh, more so to one that belonged in neither world. Should it, by miracle, live through childhood unto adulthood, it would never be able to procreate in that form_

_The demon sat, stretching his legs before him, and leaned on the stone wall adjacent to the mouth of the cave. He respected his father enough to stay here and silently protect them through the night but he would do no more once they reached a human village._

* * *

He had initiated his usual greeting and he was confused at the lack of emotions in his brother's eye. His little brother had half-heartedly complied to his reminder and soon turned away from him, a clear dismissal. He had watched his brother turn away from him, leaving him perplexed.

The behaviour was soon pushed out of his mind, as his attention was grabbed by the child he regularly visited. As the little girl chatted about all the different colours on the trees and of how many yellow and red leaves she could find to make a crown, he found himself puzzling over Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru frowned, tuning out the sounds of childish laughter and the sounds of a pile of leaves crunching and cushioning a little girl's body weight.

Inuyasha's scent was unusually watered down, he clearly need comfort, which he had denied by leaving and ignoring his pack's concerned gaze.

His brother usually wore his heart on his sleeves. It was pathetically easy to understand what he was feeling if one looked at his eyes and body posture.

He did however have his moments where he seemed like he was carved out of stone. His human pack could not, in those instance, get him to confide in them, no matter how much they pried.

Inuyasha's behaviour plagued his mind all morning and loathe though he was to admit it, his curiosity often had a mind of its own. Decision made, he dropped Rin to the village before the sun would set and picked through the various smells composing the forest until he found the half-demon's trademark aroma.

He followed the scent into the forest, focusing only on the trail thus ignoring the path it let too. He eventually stopped to an imposing tree, feeling a sense of purity coming out of it. It stood proud still bearing healthy green leaves, despite the season.

The half-breed stared at an indentation on its bark, his clawed finger was touching the mark gently. He picked at the spot for a moment longer before letting his arm down, palm brushing over the rough bark in its descent.

Inuyasha leaned his forehead on the tree. He stayed that way, his eyes clenched shut, fangs peeking out and biting his lips, until a harsh exhale wrenched out of his mouth.

The sharp sound was deafening in the silent forest. It felt inexplicably wrong to have heard and seen that moment of weakness. Sesshomaru glared, as another shuttering breath broke free from the younger man, and never heard the deeper rumbling sound that followed.

White ears suddenly twitched around surprised and keenly aware of every rustle and every foreign sound even as a strong wind blew leeward.

"I _can_ smell and hear ya, you know..." Inuyasha's voice said brusquely, trying to mask his embarrassment with annoyance.

Small sounds of crushed twigs and leaves were deliberately made to warn his little brother that he had no intention of heeding him and that he would leave only once his curiosity was satisfied.

"Leave me alone Sesshomaru," he growled as the steps grew closer and stopped to his right, shy of an arm's length away.

Sesshomaru turned his gaze skyward, giving the other the simple courtesy of composing himself, which the other gladly took to roughly wipe his burning eyes with his thumb and index finger on each eyelid.

The eerie silence stretched on, as no animal wished to be near the mounting tension between the two powerful beings.

Another gust of breeze whirled down, carrying the scent of burning embers from Inuyasha. Sesshomaru frown and waited for the outburst.

"What the hell do ya want now!? Is it too much to ask for some peace and quiet around here?"

Golden eyes narrowed and stared down at the young man baring his teeth, silently irritated for having to be the recipient of Inuyasha's tantrum.

He looked past white erect dog ears, to the protruded roots that had shaped itself oddly around the tree, hanging in the air, missing an item that it perhaps held once.

He sharply turned towards his little brother, finally recalling the history of this tree.

Just as easily as it came, the embers died and turned into the soft smell of burning incent tinged with a sweet yet spicy aroma. It permeated the air and was all but shouting what his half-brother desperately wanted to hide: shame.

Silver bangs cloaked his eyes as he bent his head, hiding.

"Why?" He allowed himself to ask for why would anyone look upon the place where a human had manage to best him so easily.

"Because that's where I met her alright!" The scent grew stronger and gained a hint of saltwater, though his voice was loud and full of anger.

The elder brother pressed his lips into a thin line, knowing clearly where this would lead.

He briefly considered turning back, his curiosity satisfied but something held him back. Perhaps it was the simple fact that Inuyasha was too tired to even deflect his question. He growled softly at his explanation, feeling at odds with his instinct and logic.

Instead of retracing his steps, he moved forward and brushed past his brother, his long fingers stretching towards the tiny hole he now knew to be where the arrow had pierce Inuyasha.

Just as Inuyasha worked his shame into anger once again, Sesshomaru steeled himself glaring at tree for its existence.

"Do you remember anything of the time you were sealed?"

The sudden and sharp citrus smell informed him he had caught his brother off guard. It soon turned into a soft orange blossom and sweet spices.

"I don't remember much after that, only ..." He trailed off still bemused by the sudden question.

"Only?" he prompted as the half-breed hesitated, falling silent and thankfully steering away from any thoughts about what was troubling him.

His brother's eyebrows shot up and his mouth open in astonishment. He truly couldn't believe the effort the other was putting in to pursue the conversation.

Sesshomaru met the gaze evenly and slowly sat down glaring at the other until he followed suit. The younger shuffled awkwardly, trying to distant himself from the other, yet unwilling to go too far.

"I remember the sound of the forest...and the smell of the seasons..."

As time passed they were unaware of the relaxed position they both adopted: Inuyasha leaned on the bark, his hands tucked into his sleeves and his legs folded under him. To his right his brother had stretched one of his legs, and folded another. His magenta striped arm leaning on his knee and hand tangling freely. Both looked up at what little they could see of the sky.

They stayed like that, the younger explaining and giving a detailed yet thoughtful account of what he felt during those fifty years, and the eldest listening quietly. The conversation eventual died down and they settle into a comfortable silence, neither wishing to disturb the night and neither truly feeling the need to settle back to their usual routine.

Come morning they would both deny they had done more than stare balefully at each other.

As he watched Inuyasha go, fatigued yet more relaxed then he had previously been, he caught the tail winds fresh air, mossy woods and of earthy flower tones and recalled the face of a newborn.

Air, was wild and free. The earthy tones he carried, much like woods these days, reminded him of strength and growth,

The scent had always fit it - no not it, _him_\- he growled correcting himself.

Sesshomaru shook his head, his lips pulling down lightly, his version of a grimace.

He would never admit that the scent was something he grew used to being near him and he would never understand when he could not conceive calling _it_ anything other but _Inuyasha_...

* * *

**A/N**

**The beginning of this fic will be drabbles. They will be stepping-stones, a sort of foundation I'm building on to make the brothers less frosty and less awkward compared to the end of the series. That foundation will help the original scene I thought for this fanfic to be included and subsequently make it a continuous story (as it was meant to be).**

**Anyways, about this chapter, first, I'm going to go ahead and say I tried to give a scent to emotions and failed miserable, but I tried and I learned we had a fragrance wheel of sorts for perfume, so at least I got a fun fact out of it.**

**Second of all, I know it's a supernatural/ fantasy story, but even if two species actually managed to make a progeny , I have a hard time believing said progeny would be fertile. The only way I can see Inuyasha having kids is by reproducing while in human form, since his genetic makeup changes to that of a full human. Maybe it could also work if he were in his full-demon form, but then it's only stated that he smelled like one, so I'm not sure if it's implied that he becomes one genetically speaking too...**

**Thanks for reading and make my day by leave a comment or two!**

**Oh and if someone is interested in beta-in this fic let me know, I could really use the help!**


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